#23 Updates

��

Shaloh House Update #23 (5772) Friday, March 30, 2012 Light Candles at 6:51 pm Page # 1

Shaloh House

UPDATE March 30, 2012 7 Nissan, 5772 #23 The Shaloh House Jewish Dאy School Newsletter

SCIENCE FAIR

THU, APR 26, 3—6 PM

BOOK FAIR

TUE, APR 3, 3– 7 PM

PESACH VACATION

THU-FRI, APR 5-13

Pesach is Almost Here...

With Pesach literally around the corner, students in Shaloh House elementary

are preparing for the holidays in ways one would never imagine! In addition

to the information learned in the classrooms regarding the intricate laws and

customs involved in the holiday of Passover in general and the Passover Se-

der in particular, students are most excited about the hands-on experiences

they will be conducting next week.

The Fourth through Sixth Graders will be coordinating and managing the an-

nual Shaloh House Mock Seder for the preschool and elementary schools.

Students prepare all aspects of the Seder, from grating the horseradish to

ensuring that the Yom Tov candles are ready to be lit before the Seder begins. Preparation for the Seder in-

cludes the need to determine the required amount of grape juice to be consumed for each of the Four Cups

and to ensure that there is enough grape juice per students to fulfill the Mitzvah in the most ideal way. Mat-

zah will be replaced with rice cakes since it is customary not to eat Matzah during the thirty days preceding

Passover.

As well, students will enjoy their annual Matzah Bakery experience as they grind wheat berries into flour and

then rush against the clock to mix the dough, flatten, make holes, and bake in less than the prescribed 18

minutes. Despite the fact that our students will be highly trained in baking strictly kosher Matzahs for Pass-

over, we remind parents that Matzahs should not be baked at home.

��


Parshas Txav

The Glamorous Giver and

the Disheveled Do-Gooder By Chana Perman

When I come to stand before the heavenly court, I do

not fear the question: “Why weren’t you Moses?” I was

not equipped to be Moses.

But I tremble for the day that it will be

demanded of me:

“Why weren’t you Zushe?”

—Rabbi Zushe of Anipoli

Well-worn passport stamped, Louis Vuit-

ton luggage checked, you settle into your

first-class seat and close your eyes. A

half-sipped bottle of Perrier feistily bub-

bles in your carry-on bag. Life is hectic

but always exciting in the glamorous-

giving lane.

In ten hours, you will arrive in Israel.

After checking into your five-star hotel—there will be just

enough time for a shower, croissants, and an itinerary

briefing from your delegation leader, the indefatigable

Shirley Keseff, a jet-setting bren feier in four-inch heels.

After your second cup of Turkish brew, you duck into the

restroom to drop extra-strength Visine into each eye.

Red-eye in photos is unattractive, and the press will be

out in droves today.

Four hours from the water bed in your hotel, the remote,

mountain-encircled community of Kfar Yeladim will be

gifted with a brand-new community center, dedicated in

memory of your illustrious grandparents. The center will

boast a pool, gym, five classrooms and a cafeteria. What

would bubbe and zaide say if they saw you today? Your

Yiddish is not as good as theirs, but gevald! You’re an

international sensation notwithstanding

Round of applause for you. You’re the glamorous charity

giver. You dress like a million dollars, and are worth

even more. Your perfect smile is captured over and over

again, as the media gobbles up news of your latest char-

ity adventure. There you go, cutting ribbons, accepting

honorary doctorates, stepping toward the podium to re-

ceive accolades for your latest philanthropic escapade.

And you don’t trip over your shoelaces or sneeze while

saying the clever things you do. After all, you’re the

glamorous giver. You make giving look easy, breezy and

stylish too. In a world of 7 billion people, you are fortu-

nate to be at the cushy end of the giving spectrum. In-

deed, this blessing is both privilege and responsibility.

In spite of the snarky, begrudging eye-

rollers, you do have your vulnerable, un-

glorious moments. After all, even a glam-

orous giver is human and prone to the

faults and failures of mankind.

And then there’s the disheveled do-

gooder.

You sit in a stuffy doctor’s office, trying

not to doze off. You are sitting beside an

elderly neighbor who is now all alone,

save for the caring neighbor down the

hall—who just happens to be you.

The senior neighbor has adopted you and your chicken

soup, as well as your couch and folding chair, which is

now the only comfortable chair, given her back trouble.

A lukewarm bottle of juice flatly rests in the crumpled

shopping bag at your feet. You sigh. Life is demanding

but fulfilling in the disheveled do-gooder lane.

In two hours, you will roar off in your 1996 Chevy Im-

pala to deliver twenty hot meals. Your meals-on-wheels

buddies are grateful recipients and fast friends. Sharing

food is a bright spot in your week, each gracious “thank

you” a ray of sunshine, feeding your spirit.

Next, you dip into the pharmacy for vitamins. A frail

cousin would benefit from vitamin D, and what good are

cousins if they can’t produce doses of D during a time of

need?

You are rushing. In ten minutes, a children’s library is

being launched at the local school. Shoulders straighten-

ing with pride, you delight in your earnest donation: two

books and a puzzle in honor of great-uncle Sol, vora-

cious reader and puzzle master. Your contribution has

been acknowledged with a handwritten note from the

school librarian.

��


Gasp! It’s already 3:30, and you’ve volunteered to cover

carpool for a bedridden friend. But the car won’t start,

and your cell phone has no battery power.

You fish two coins out of your glove compartment and

race to a pay phone. The carpool is quickly arranged,

and another do-gooder bearing jumper cables is en

route to your car.

Round of applause for you. You are the busy do-gooder,

frantically running in every which direction. Resources

are typically meager, and life’s complex variables have

you twirling in a tailspin. But you rise, determined do-

gooder that you are, and outdo yourself time and time

again, disheveled state of affairs notwithstanding.

There you go, waving to the mailman, offering cookies

to a crying toddler, wildly clapping in the audience as

you celebrate the glorious achievements of a glamorous

giver.

And maybe you do trip over your sandals or hiccup while

sharing spontaneous words. After all, you’re the dishev-

eled do-gooder. You make giving look zany, quirky and

daring. In a world of 7 billion people, you are fortunate

too. You are at the sometimes bumpy end of the giving

spectrum. Indeed, this blessing is both privilege and re-

sponsibility.

In spite of the snarky, begrudging eye-rollers, you do

have your polished, picture-perfect moments. After all,

even a disheveled do-gooder is human and, as such, a

stunning creation of G-dly perfection.

Editor: What about everyone else?

This Writer: Admitted, I am prone to hyperbole.

Editor: There is a middle ground between the snob and

the slob.

This Writer: True. Give me some time to get back to

you.

Editor: As soon as you can, please.

This Writer: Indeed, what about the rest of the popula-

tion? On the benevolence bell curve, so to speak,

chances are you are not at either extreme. You haven’t

made it onto the Forbes list just yet, but hold your own,

thank you very much. At the same time, there are times

when—even if your credit card isn’t maxed out—your

giving reserves are challenged.

The glamorous giver breathes rarefied air, and the di-

sheveled do-gooder is often out of breath. What about

you? What about me?

The sainted Reb Zushe did not concern himself with be-

ing Moses, as he was not born to be Moses. Reb Zushe

trembled for the day when he would be asked by GJd if

he lived up to his full potential. The unique potential spe-

cifically granted to Reb Zushe.

At times, sharing opportunities may appear at our door-

step, neatly wrapped with a shining bow. At other times,

the gift is hurled through an open window, perhaps dur-

ing a thunderstorm at 3:00 AM. Perhaps when we least

expected or wanted it.

G-d orchestrates the particular circumstances of each

person’s life. Whether we are the glamorous giver, di-

sheveled do-gooder or middle of the road mentch, we

have been gifted with all the tools to live up to our full

giving potential.

And, like Reb Zushe, we must continually concern our-

selves with the vital question:

“Why were you not (insert your name here)?”

When we consistently practice the mitzvah of tzedakah

(charity) in our daily lives—utilizing our personal

strength, talents and wisdom—we can proudly answer

the question we will ultimately be asked:

“Yes, G-d, I accomplished the noble job of being

(insert your name here).”

And if you’ve never heard that round of applause during

your lifetime, you will most certainly hear it then.

From www.Shaloh.org/Magazine

��


Toddler Room

This week was full of Pesach activities. We finished our Pesach Haggadot in plenty of

time for the holiday. Make sure to get them out at the Seders so the kids can be proud of

all of their hard work!

And be sure to ask questions - we have been learning the exciting

story of how the Jews were slaves in Egypt and how G-d freed them

after punishing the Egyptians with ten plagues, and the kids really

know the story well.

We also continued to work on L for Lemon and Lollipop and

M for Matza and Maror. We even got to eat lollipops for a

special Shabbos party treat.

Next week will be short but very busy, as we will bake our own Matza and participate in a full-length model

Seder!

We wish you and your family a Good Shabbos,

Morah Anna, Morah Leah and Morah Masha

��


Preschool Room

We’ve been so busy getting ready for Pesach in our class. We first learned about the differ-

ence between chametz and Kosher for Pesach. Morah gave each of us two envelopes. In one

of them, we put all of the pictures of the foods which were kosher for Pesach, like chicken, matzah, fish, eggs

and vegetables. In the brown envelope we put all the chametz, including the cakes, cookies and macaroni.

That’s the envelope of food that we need to burn before Pesach.

After learning about the chametz, we were all ready to begin cleaning our

classroom for Pesach. Morah gave each of us a baby wipe and we wiped up all

the toys and the furniture in the classroom. We don’t bring chametz into the

classroom anymore.

Pesach also comes with very exciting projects. We are so busy preparing our

Haggadot, which we can really use at the Seder on the night of Pesach. We are always careful to wipe off our

clothing and cover the tables before beginning to work. This way, no crumbs of Chametz will get onto our

pages.

Listen to us sing the Seder Song (Kadesh, Urchatz, etc.) while we turn the pages of the Haggadah. Parents,

please keep in mind that our Haggadah is kosher for Pesach and can be used at the Seder.

Throughout our busy days, we continue to practice the Ma Nishtana song which we will sing at the Seder. We

are still trying to get they words memorized. Don’t forget to write a Mitzvah note for your child describing

how beautifully they said the Ma Nishtana!

This week we talked about Pharaoh, that mean king. The children really

remembered the makkot and about how Bnei Yisrael made the very first

matzot when they rushed out of Mitzrayim. We were reminded about

how the Jews cried to Hashem. Their tears tasted like the salty water in

which we dip our Karpas.

We will IY”H send home the Haggadah on Wednesday, our last day of school before Pesach. If you’re going

away earlier, please tell us, so we can give it to you before we leave.

Hag Kasher V’Sameach! Be proud of your child at the Seder!

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Ruti, Morah Polina and Morah Basya

��


Kindergarten Junior 1

Pesach has come to life in our classroom as we have fun with songs, games, projects, and

stories. We acted out the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim with the kids wearing their dough on

their backs which turned in to Matza in the sun. We cleaned our classroom for Pesach with all the kids help-

ing wipe down the shelves and toys. The next day we did Bedikas Chametz. We hid 10 pieces of bread which

everyone did a great job finding.

The Pesach songs we learned are in the Haggada which we will send home next week. They include Kadeish

Urchatz, The Ma Nishtana, Dam is Blood, and Dayeinu.

Here are some questions to help you discuss the Holiday with your children:

1) What were the Jewish people forced to do in Mitzrayim? They had to work very hard as slaves.

2) What did Moshe warn Pharaoh would happen if he did not let the Jews leave? He would get the 10

Makkos.

3) Who saved the Jewish people from Mitzrayim? Hashem and Moshe was his helper.

4) What holiday do we have to celebrate Hashem making us free? Pesach

5) How long is Pesach? 8 Days

6) How many Seders do we have? 2

7) How do we know what things we need to do at the Seder? We follow the order of the Haggada.

8) How many cups of wine do drink at the Seder? What

can kids drink instead? 4 cups. Kids can drink Grape juice.

9) How many Matzos do we need? 3 Matzos

10) What special kind of Matzos should we use at the Se-

der? Shmura Matzos. Round Matzos that are made by hand and

whose wheat was watched from when it was in the ground.

11) What do we dip a vegetable into at Karpas? Why? Salty

water. Because Salty water tastes like tears. And the Jews cried

when they had to work so hard in Mitzrayim.

12) Which Matza do we break at yachatz? The middle.

13) What is the bigger piece called? The Afikoman?

14) When will we eat the Afikoman? After the meal during

Tzafun.

15) Why do lean to the side when we drink the wine and eat the Matza? Because on the night of the Se-

der we are like kings who relax while they eat.

Have a Good Shabbos,

From Morah Yael and Morah Goldy

��


Kindergarten Junior 2

This week in Kindergarten Juniors 2 we are continuing to prepare our Haggadot for

Pesach. We reviewed the story of Pesach, how the Jewish people left the land of Mitz-

rayim (Egypt) to get away from the mean Paraoh, and talked about some of the themes of Pesach. We dis-

cussed how Maror makes us cry, which reminds of how sad the Jewish people were when they were working

for the mean Pharaoh in Mitzrayim.

For our Haggadot, we discussed the many steps involved in the Seder. We have already completed the

pages for the steps of the Seder until Tzafun. We have had fun cutting and pasting, painting, doing crayon

rubbings, drawing, and having our pictures taken. We are excited to take our beautiful Haggadot home next

week to use on Pesach.

In English we are reviewing all of the letters and their sounds. We are also practicing writing the lowercase

forms of the letters and matching them to their uppercase counterparts.

In Math we are continuing to practice addition of the number 1-10 and the numbers 1 and 2. It’s so much

fun to see how the numbers jump when we add them together!

In Hebrew we are reviewing all of the letters to prepare for after Pesach, when all groups start to read!

In circle time we are nearing the end of March. We are

excited to start the next month—April!

Questions about Pesach:

What is the name of the big dinner we have on Pesach?

The seder

Why do we eat Matzah on Pesach? It’s what the Jewish

people ate when they left Mitzrayim

What happens when we eat Maror? It makes us cry.

Why do we eat Maror if it makes us cry? It reminds of

how sad the Jews were when they were working for the

mean Paraoh in Mitzrayim, building pyramids.

What are 4 things we do on Pesach that are different from the other nights? We eat Matzah, we eat Maror,

we dip our foods, and we sit leaning on a pillow.

Why do we lean on a pillow? Because that is how kings sit, and on Pesach, we are like kings since we don’t

have to work for Pharaoh anymore.

This week we also celebrated Leila’s 5th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Leila!

Have a Good Shabbos,

From Morah Marina and Morah Chava

��


Kindergarten Senior

Parshas Tzav

Please continue sending in miztva notes! The class enjoys hearing about the mitzvos their friends do!

Math

One group continues progressing with subtracting numbers bigger than ten. For example: sixteen minus four

is twelve. The second group is learning more aspects of telling time.

English

One group learned the digraph ‘ck’ and read and gave words with ‘ck’. They read the book “Click, Cluck,

Quack”. The second group continues to strengthen their reading skills through reading “We Make Maple

Syrup”. They also continue practicing their handwriting skills.

Parsha

Please ask your child to tell you about the parsha picture we sent home.

Parshas Tzav Parsha Questions:

1) What does the kohen take off the mizbaiach every morning? (ashes)

2) Why did the kohanim have a lottery every day to choose one kohen to take off the ashes? (so no ko-

hanim would push the other off the ramp)

3) What do we know about the fire on the mizbaiach? (the fire burned all the time)

Alef bais

One group continues reading with koobootz and the second group continues reading with all nekudos. Both

groups practiced reading the mah nishtana.

We are sending home the haggados and Pesach projects next week.

Please look for them!

With wishes for a wonderful Shabbos,

Morahs Esther, Shulamis Yehudis and Tova

��


��


Elementary School NEWS

Judaic Studies

Sara Wolosow

We have been very busy preparing for Pesach. We have been learning all

about Yetzias Mitzrayim and reading and learning from our very own Hag-

gadas. So many questions. So many answers. The children are so curious

why we do so many things different from the whole year. This is our heritage and it is a big mitzvah to pass

it along to our children. They are the stars of the Seder.

They have been practicing the four questions with translation. Please encourage them to say them at the

Seder. Our Seder has 15 steps in a certain order. Please involve your children to help lead them and explain

their reasons.

We had a lot of fun singing our way through the Haggadah. Wishing you all a very happy and kosher Pesach.

Social Studies

Andrew Countis

1st Grade

We have transitioned into a study of life in other countries, but have also broadened our focus to include a

geographic element to this academic pursuit. We are practicing and enhancing our map skills, whether by

studying other countries or the layout of the map of the United States. The goal of these studies is to develop

a basic understanding of both states and countries. In addition to continuing these studies, we will soon be-

gin a country oriented project, where students will pick a particular country to learn about and report on to

classmates.

In 1st Grade Science, the students have frequently heard Mr. Countis use the expression "Put your Science

hats on and solve this problem." Now they actually have Science hats to wear when solving problems.

2nd Grade

Since the last Social Studies update, we have continued our civics themed lessons, but have broadened this

attempt to build a foundational knowledge base to include geographic studies. We are currently studying U.S.

states, developing map skills, and learning the difference between continents and countries. We will soon be-

gin our “People Who Made a Difference” project, in which students will choose a biographical subject and

prepare a report and presentation on that subject.

3rd Grade

We are in the midst of our regional studies of the United States, but in order to build a foundational knowl-

��


edge base, we have begun a parallel track. We have studied and constructed timelines to better understand

the events and flow of American history, and we have now added a geographic element to the class, to fur-

ther our map skills and better understand the geography of the United States. We will soon broaden our geo-

graphical boundaries to study continents and selected overseas nations.

4th & 5th Grade

We have just completed our study of Ancient Greece, culminating with an examination of Athenian and Spar-

tan culture and history. We learned about Greece’s struggle to repel invasion by the Persian Empire, and also

about the Golden Age of Athens with its advances in philosophy, democracy and the arts. We also briefly

studied the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta which brought that Golden Age to an end. Finally,

we briefly revisited and expanded our knowledge base with regard to Alexander of Macedon, better known as

Alexander the Great. Having completed our Greek studies, we are now moving on to the early days of Rome

as a republic, before it became an empire.

6th Grade

We have completed our studies of the European colonization of Europe, and had a geography based quiz on

the subject. We have now undertaken an examination of the monarchy in England, starting with the Tudors,

proceeding to the Houses of Stuart, Hanover and Windsor. We are focused primarily on the English Civil War

and the growing power of the monarchy, a theme we will continue when we move soon to the study of the

French monarchy. Moving quickly, we will move into the 18th century and study the French Revolution and

how it led to the era of Napoleon Bonaparte.

��


School Happenings

The Shaloh House Book Fair is back!

Tuesday, April 4th, from 3-7, your favorite bookstore and your favorite school are the same. Can’t get

enough of either? Well, the school will be around for years to come, and the book fair continues on line for a

few more weeks. All books ordered online arrive free to Shaloh House for pick up. Books bought at the fair

require no waiting, savoring commences immediately Titles range from the preschool to high school level to

help insure fun finds for everyone.

For those who want to order on-line, ordering will soon be open at http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookfairs/

cptoolkit/homepage.do?method=homepage&url=shalohhousehebrewdayschool&appesp=CPT/ib/20120101///

txtl/FairFindertoHomepage. For everyone who longs to flip through the books before deciding if any call out

for a spot on your book cases, the fair beginning at 3 on Tuesday the 4th.

Parent/Teacher Night a Critical Failure

I know it is shocking, but it has to be shared. Something went drastically wrong this year with our second

round of parent/teacher conferences. Somehow, we had nearly half a plate of snacks left over. Of

course, the meetings were delightful. Catching up with our parents was amazingly fun. Celebrating the

growth of our delightful and clever students was as engaging and energizing as expected. Presenting current

work and its progress remarkable, with just the right level of shocked surprise that the work really came

from “only” a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth grader, mixed with just a dash of discovery about just

what all of the “stuff” we get up to here is.

Pick-Up and Drop off update

Thank you to all parents for making our pick up and drop off times work so smoothly. The city crossing

guard (who is kind enough to come early to help us out) was commenting just the other day how well it’s

going this year. However, there is one area to continue working on. Now, that our school-wide release is at

3:00 on Friday, not only do we have all our Shaloh House children leaving, but also the school up the street

releases as the same time. With such an influx of children, heading home it is even more important that all of

our drivers respect the rules of the road. Double or even triple parking, u-turns, and the like make the time

more dangerous for everyone. Please be extra careful and aware of the large number of students in the area.

Science Fairs Coming Soon

Shaloh House will be holding its annual science fair this year on April 26 from 3-6. More details will fol-

low shortly, but please reserve the date and time for a wonderful show. The Jewish Day School Regional

Science Fair is on Sunday, April 29. This year to insure the right ratio of interviewers and students, every

school needs to supply one interviewer for every four students presenting. For all of our projects to be ac-

cepted, we need to have at least three people who will commit to being at the entire fair, volunteering as in-

terviewers. The spots can be shared among people, so as long as we can cover the three positions through

the entire fair, it will work. There will be events for the entire family, including wonderful presentations by

Shaloh House students. Please speak with Mr. Countis or Mr. Carey if you are available by April 4. Thanks!

��


Please support our advertisers

Mass Capital Mortgage Corp

Yakov Krivoy 617-233-8281

Michael Pipko 508-479-5752

License MB 1190 (MA), MBB 0505720 (Florida)

Your ad

could be here

Babushka Deli 62 Washington Street , Brighton, MA

The Best Produce in Boston!

Gil Regev Financial Services Professional New York Life Insurance Company Licensed Agent T. 781 398 9817 The Company You Keep®

OZ Drain

& Plumbing Repair

Oleg Zlotin

(978) 360-8280

Call me for all your plumbing needs

Wigs Blow Dry Wax Makeup House Calls Available

Magi Zemach 617.208.8845 347.489.1044

��


What is Matzah Shemurah?

The most important part

of the Seder is the Mat-

zah that we eat. The

word Shemurah which

means “watched” in He-

brew is used to describe

these Matzahs. The

wheat used in their bak-

ing is carefully watched

and protected against

any contact with water

from the moment of har-

vest and on. Water

would cause leavening

and thus disqualify its

use on Passover.

In ordinary Matzahs, the

wheat is watched only

from the time of milling.

The difference between the two is the degree of certainty as to whether water reached the grain from har-

vest time until it was milled.

These Shemurah Matzahs, which are round in form, are baked entirely by hand and scrutinizing supervision

to avoid any possibility of leavening during the baking process.

Shaloh House is your one-stop destination for all your Pesach needs! Here you can sell your Chometz, buy

Shmurah Matzah, and celebrate with us at our Grand Kosher Seder.

Join us Friday night and Saturday nights for our Grand Community Seders! (Free for Shaloh students and

their parents and siblings.)

Festive food, crunchy Matzah, songs and so much fun! Explanations given in Russian by our own Rabbi

Rodkin will make this event so meaningful. The gemstone of this event is our separate Children’s Seder

packed with fun, prizes, games and contests – all conducted in English. (The children’s Seder is entertaining

and many non-speaking Russian parents joined this affair last year and were extremely pleased.)

The usual charge for the Seder is $25 for adults and $15 for kids. However, since the Shaloh House students

are the stars of our show (especially their rendition of the “Ma Nishtanah”), we are admitting the students,

their parents and siblings as our guests.

Your sponsorship is welcome! We would appreciate all your donations – large and small – to underwrite

this special event.

#23 Updates

Documents

Transcript of #23 Updates